Howdy all. I've been in this hobby for 25 years now, and have always preferred nanos for the challenge and the smaller expenditures. My latest has been a 16G Nuvo reef that was set up "for my daughter" 4 years ago. Been growing SPS, softies, and zoas like crazy, and have actually come to enjoy the occasional battle with pests (aptasia hunting actually gets fun, six-line wrasses are magical in eliminating flatworms, ...).
Now my daughter is at the age where she wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up (5th grade, but I'll relish it while it lasts). And I'm at the point where I've done this long enough and have budgeted enough that I want to do it any way I please. And I gotta feed her desire to be a marine biologist, right?
So I know I'm about to get sucked into the planning stage that I love, and where the advice of local chiseled veterans is most valuable. It's been a while since I posted anything, but I'm gonna be peppering you guys in the coming months!
First step: picking a tank and stand.
-For house-dimensional reasons my maximum tank dimensions are 40"x18". So I won't be doing a huge setup, but those are the dimensions I have to stay within.
-I've always wanted to build a reef with a long aspect ratio. Have done cubes and squarish tanks, so the grass looks greener now with long tanks.
-I want a high-quality setup that makes me proud of my 25 years of service in the hobby. Not expensive or full of apparatus I won't use, but sexy.
-I've looked at CADLights, Red Sea, Acquasole and Elos (ok, Elos is still way more than I'd every spend). They all have the look I'm after, but none have a long tank that stays within my 40x18 max footprint. CADLights has a 30x18, but that's not wide enough and I'm leery of their quality. And Deep Blue has a 57G that would fit, but I'd have to custom drill for a Herbie drain and install a new overflow--plus I'm not keen on their stands.
-I've just sent out bids for a custom rig from Miracles, Coast to Coast, and Aquacosm. Still waiting to see estimates. I've heard Reef Savvy is top of the heap, but I am scared by their cost and wait time.
So with all that rambling done, I ask you SLASHers: what should I get?
Now my daughter is at the age where she wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up (5th grade, but I'll relish it while it lasts). And I'm at the point where I've done this long enough and have budgeted enough that I want to do it any way I please. And I gotta feed her desire to be a marine biologist, right?
So I know I'm about to get sucked into the planning stage that I love, and where the advice of local chiseled veterans is most valuable. It's been a while since I posted anything, but I'm gonna be peppering you guys in the coming months!
First step: picking a tank and stand.
-For house-dimensional reasons my maximum tank dimensions are 40"x18". So I won't be doing a huge setup, but those are the dimensions I have to stay within.
-I've always wanted to build a reef with a long aspect ratio. Have done cubes and squarish tanks, so the grass looks greener now with long tanks.
-I want a high-quality setup that makes me proud of my 25 years of service in the hobby. Not expensive or full of apparatus I won't use, but sexy.
-I've looked at CADLights, Red Sea, Acquasole and Elos (ok, Elos is still way more than I'd every spend). They all have the look I'm after, but none have a long tank that stays within my 40x18 max footprint. CADLights has a 30x18, but that's not wide enough and I'm leery of their quality. And Deep Blue has a 57G that would fit, but I'd have to custom drill for a Herbie drain and install a new overflow--plus I'm not keen on their stands.
-I've just sent out bids for a custom rig from Miracles, Coast to Coast, and Aquacosm. Still waiting to see estimates. I've heard Reef Savvy is top of the heap, but I am scared by their cost and wait time.
So with all that rambling done, I ask you SLASHers: what should I get?